Help with Miami Hotel/Transportation Please!

[Susie from MN]

We arrive Miami about noon one day before our NCL Jewel cruise in January. Should we stay by the airport? The port? South Beach?

 

We don't have transfers so were planning to take cabs around. Is this smart? Should we just rent a car for our one day of sightseeing?

 

What time can we board the ship on the day of departure? We are first time cruisers and it's not all clear to me...

 

Thanks for any help!!

[CaliforniaDreamer]

I vote No for the airport.

[eandj]

First of all if you don't have your reservations made at a hotel by now, make those asap. Depending on when in Jan you are looking, the rates in the Miami area start climbing. You will always get the best rates near the airport, but you wouldn't want to stay there as there is nothing to see or do.

 

Next...what do you WANT to do during your day there? It'll probably be too cool for beach activities. But you can certainly do a lot of people watching near S. Beach and there is plenty of shopping. The only thing near the port is Bayside Market Place. You can go to the web site to check it out. Retaurants and some shopping. It's good for maybe 3 hours in my opinion.

 

You'll be able to get on the ship anytime after 11:30 with no problem.

[Susie from MN]

So do you think it's best to just take a taxi to a South Beach hotel and then from there to the port?

[eandj]

You didn't say what your budget for the hotel is. If you can spend over $200 a night, yes look at staying in the South Beach area and then you'd only need to cab from the airport to the hotel and to the port. Everything is pretty much in walking distance. The hotels there will be the most pricey. Parking a car around S beach can really be difficult depending on the time and day.

 

There has been many recs made re where to stay. Look back at recent posts and also do research on tripadvisor.com. But knowing your budget will give posters here, some more info in order to help you. Also tell us what you like doing or plan on doing.

 

Some dates in Jan already are extremely high $ due to events in the area. So we'd need to know the date you're looking at too.